Moments
by Rainshower133
Summary: A series of drabbles and shorts exploring various characters during different moments in time.
1. Rabbit

_**A/N:** _Hi! So, this is my first FF I've actually publised on here. I think there's a bit you ought to know:

This will be a series of drabbles that will range in topic, genre (romance, humour, etc), length, theme, writing style, character and timeline. Some will be set before the first novel, some during books, some between books. Maybe even some that are post-Mockingjay. They won't be in order.

Rating may change later, but I doubt there will be more than a few things with any content higher than K.

I apologize in advance for the lax writing style here. I scribbled these down while flipping between working on a few longer, serious original pieces with dark themes and considerably heavy narratives. I needed something to do for fun.

This first little story takes place not long after Katniss began hunting with Gale.

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own and will never own The Hunger Games._

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><p><strong>Rabbit<strong>

He stared at his feet as he meandered along the path, in no hurry to get home. No doubt his mother would be livid, but best delay the beating. He'd still get it whenever he made it home, early or late. He swung his legs and arms as he walked, kicking rocks along, picking a new one when he kicked one too far. His big toe was beginning to poke out of his right sneaker, but there would be no chance of new shoes unless a neighbour outgrew a pair.

He walked back to town with the fence that surrounded District 12, and the forest beyond it, on his right. He listened to the birds sing, mimicking the sorry songs they heard drifting out the school music room's windows. He looked toward the trees, noticing the skinny rabbit at the edge of the woods. Watched as it pricked its ears, sensing danger, watched as it shot off into the bushes. He swung his foot and stubbed his unconcealed toe on a large rock.

"Ouch!"

He grabbed his foot, wincing. Through the haze of pain, he heard a noise from the forest past the fence. The boy flung himself behind a bush next to the path just in time.

He peered out between the leaves as the boy and girl came from the woods and slipped through the hole in the fence. The girl hurriedly stuffed a dead rabbit into a satchel slung over her shoulder. The boy looked this way and that, watching for people. As if anyone would care that two grubby children had been out in the woods. Everyone had their own problems. The boy tugged the girl along, down the path, back the way the boy in the bushes had come.

He looked after them until they were lost from sight, the hunter boy and the girl he had once burnt bread for.

He scrabbled to his feet among the rocks and coal dust, wiping the grime from his knees.

He continued on his way home, secure in the knowledge that he had achieved what he wanted that day. Just another glance at the girl. Even if she never glanced back.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I would love to read any thoughts you had on this. Whether you liked it, disliked it, hated it. So please take a few seconds and review! Feel free to give me any suggestions, ideas, prompts or characters you would like me to use for a future drabble. :D Thanks.

Next chapter will be a Primrose one!


	2. Be Strong

_**A/N:** _This one's a Primrose one, set during the first book, after Rue's death.

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own and will never own The Hunger Games._

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><p><strong>Be Strong<strong>

The rustling of paper, the closing of books. The scrabbling of children to get their lunch boxes. The scraping as desks were pushed together, and the chattering as the students swapped what little food they had. That scratchy, static-y noise when the TV was clicked on. Everyone turning their chairs to see. Silencing the voices. So many sounds in the classroom, and Prim noticed all of them.

They played the highlights of the Games so far. Primrose Everdeen waited with wide eyes for the death announcements.

They flew through scene after scene. The Careers running through the trees, the little dark girl lighting fires, the pile of supplies exploding. Cato killed the boy from 3. The girl from 11 died . . . _Was murdered _. . . Rue. The boy from 1, too.

Katniss was everywhere. She caused the explosion. She ran to Rue. She shot the boy. She sang to little Rue - _only the same age as me, _thought Prim - as she died. Primrose knew the song. They learned it at school.

There were the flowers. She heard the collective gasp of her classmates.

Prim rubbed at her eyes to erase the evidence of tears, hoping her classmates wouldn't notice. She shouldn't show weakness. It's not what her sister would want. Katniss would say: "Be strong Prim. Don't let them bring you down." _Be strong Prim. _

With the absence of her sister's support, she ran to Gale later, after the bell rang to release them from class. He picked her up and hugged her tight. Gale and his brother Rory each held one of Prim's hands while they walked home.

Gale left her at the door of the Everdeen house. He patted her on the shoulder. "She'll be okay. She can do it. She's strong. And we all gotta be strong like that."

That night, Prim and her mother huddled together on the couch. They held each other and cried together while the Games warbled on in the background. For Katniss. For the little girl from District 11. For the other children who had already been murdered. For all of the children that had ever been sacrificed for the Capitol's entertainment.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I would love to read any thoughts you had on this. Whether you liked it, disliked it, hated it. So please take a few seconds and review! Feel free to give me any suggestions, ideas, prompts or characters you would like me to use for a future drabble. :D Thanks.


	3. Little Girl

_**A/N:** _This one takes place after the Reaping of District 11.

_**Disclaimer:** I do not own and will never own The Hunger Games._

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><p><strong>Little Girl<strong>

On the train he tried not to look at her. No eye contact. Not even a glance. But sometimes he couldn't help seeing her.

_So little. So young._ That was all he could think about. He knew her. She was the one who climbed way up high in the trees in the orchard, up where no one else could get. She sang with the birds, those mockingjays.

He knew she was quick; stealthy. He saw her running and playing, flitting through the streets, dodging between trees with those other kids. _Rue. _

She was just a little girl. Twelve, but seemed younger. She was a good kid.

_She should win. _Wishful thinking.

She wouldn't win. She would not make it very far. If someone caught her - oh, but at least they would have to catch her first! - she would be easily overpowered. Pity on the soul that killed her. Thresh decided he would avenge her death. For the sake of District 11. For the sake of an innocent little girl.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I would love to read any thoughts you had on this. Whether you liked it, disliked it, hated it. So please take a few seconds and review! Feel free to give me any suggestions, ideas, prompts or characters you would like me to use for a future drabble. :D Thanks.


	4. Warmth

_**A/N:** _More Peeta. This originated as a concept I used for an original character of mine in an old notebook, but I thought it might apply to Gale. Couldn't fit it into any timeline for him, though, and figured it fit Peeta much better.

Set during Catching Fire, when Peeta and Katniss are on the train. Somewhere in Chapter 5, I believe.

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own and will never own The Hunger Games._

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><p><strong>Warmth<strong>

Peeta laid awake listening to the thrum-thrum-thrumming of Katniss's heartbeat. In the grips of insomnia, sleep evaded him. He squirmed, just to make sure he could still feel the soft warmth of his companion's body. Thrum-thrum-thrumming. He heard Katniss mumble inaudibly in her sleep, and he imagined it was "_Gale, Gale, Gale._" Peeta breathed in her scent and sighed. If only they could both forget about _Gale, Gale, Gale. _

Katniss shifted against him, rolling onto her side, her legs kicking out in one direction, and her back facing Peeta. Peeta wiped some sweat off her forehead. He closed his eyes, but only for a few moments.

Katniss moved restlessly again, curling into a ball against Peeta's side now. He wrapped his body around hers, for the warmth, he reasoned. He was freezing. Katniss was soft and warm, and her presence was comforting. Peeta listened again to the thrum-thrum-thrumming, and felt the soft rising-falling; rising-falling of her side. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

The crescent moon was barely visible through the gap between the curtains. He laid his chin on her shoulder and looked out at the stars passing by.

Peeta nearly jumped to his feet at the sound of a yell, prepared to protect sleeping Katniss. He listened hard, wrapping his arms around her a little more tightly. It was only drunken Haymitch blundering past in the hall, he decided. Or something. Maybe he was shouting at Effie.

_Katniss, Katniss, Katniss. _

Peeta leaned into her and buried his face in her hair. He breathed in Katniss's comforting scent. This was good. This was okay. Katniss was fine. He was fine. And they were going to be okay.

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><p><em><strong>AN:** _I would love to read any thoughts you had on this. Whether you liked it, disliked it, hated it. So please take a few seconds and review! Feel free to give me any suggestions, ideas, prompts or characters you would like me to use for a future drabble. :D Thanks.

I have one more planned for now - a longer one with Katniss and her mother.


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